Bell Pottinger Group

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) political advisers in his Department have met representatives of (i) Bell Pottinger Group or (ii) each of its subsidiaries in the last five years; on what dates any such meetings took place; and what was discussed.

John Penrose: A list of meetings between both the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), and the Permanent Secretary with ‘outside interest groups’ has been published on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's (DCMS) website, and can be found using the link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/
	According to the information recorded by the Department, I can confirm that neither Ministers nor political advisers in DCMS have met with representatives of the Bell Pottinger Group, or any of its subsidiaries since May 2010. We do not hold centrally information relating to ministerial meetings prior to this date.
	The information requested relating to officials for each of the last five years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Creative Industries Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to his answers of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 1051W, on Creative Industries Council, and 7 November 2011, Official Report, columns 84-85W, on arts, at what level his Department has held discussions with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on access to finance for the creative industries; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills ahead of the next Economic Affairs sub-cabinet committee.

Edward Vaizey: The time limited working groups set up by the council, including the one on access to finance capital, are led by industry, and supported by officials from both my Department and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The officials therefore meet on a regular basis to discuss how they can work closely together to ensure that the groups can do their work effectively. There have not been specific discussions with the Secretary of State on this subject before the next Economic Affairs Cabinet sub-Committee.

Museums and Galleries: Schools

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an assessment of the level of access of school children from maintained schools to theatres, galleries, museums and heritage sites in (a) each region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to promote such access.

Edward Vaizey: The Department’s Taking Part Survey 2010-11 is a large national survey of children aged five to 15 and adults aged 16+, which assesses participation in culture across England. Data is not currently available by type of school, and to collate regional data would incur disproportionate cost.
	In 2010-11, 98% of children had accessed the arts, with 44% of five to 10-year-olds, and 67% of 11 to 15-year-olds attending theatres. 65% had visited museums and galleries and 72% had visited a heritage site in the last 12 months. The latest child engagement findings can be found at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/publications/8398.aspx
	From next April, Arts Council England (ACE) will be investing £10 million into a network of new Bridge Organisations to connect arts organisations and schools and help improve the overall delivery of arts opportunities for children. Their 10-year strategic framework “Achieving great art for everyone” commits to ensuring every child and young person has the opportunity to experience the richness of the arts. ACE’s Renaissance programme aims to increase access for children and young people to renaissance museums. The number of visits by children in 2010-11, had more than doubled from 2,533,464 in 2002-03 to 5,173,695.
	This Department’s Sponsored Museums’ “Performance Indicators 2010-11” include the number of educational visits made and is available at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/research_and_statistics/8609.aspx
	English Heritage’s education team send regular e-newsletters to all state schools within England encouraging them to visit and learn at its properties. They also publish the magazine “Heritage Learning”, which is aimed at supporting teachers, and hold a teachers’ forum. Every effort is made to ensure that all schools are aware of English Heritage’s “Learners Go Free” message.
	Culture is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it is therefore appropriate for their Governments to respond.

Ofcom

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what powers Ofcom has under the Communications Act 2003 to regulate DTT Multiplex Operators Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Ofcom have advised:
	“DTT Multiplex Operators Limited does not currently hold a broadcasting licence. Certain of its activities involve the organisation of channel numbering for DTT Electronic Programme Guides. In so far as those activities are carried out on behalf of DTT multiplex operators any regulatory issues would require consideration under the relevant multiplex licences. Pursuant to the Communications Act its activities are also subject to Ofcom's concurrent competition law powers under the Competition Act 1998.”

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Leader of the House what the constitutional position of the Duchy of Cornwall is in respect of legislation before the House.

George Young: It is a long-established convention that, where Bills are due to affect the Crown, formal prior consent is sought from the Queen for the way in which that Bill will affect the Crown. By convention, when there is a Duke of Cornwall of age, similar formal consent is sought from the Duke of Cornwall. Parliamentary procedure in both Houses requires Queen's consent to be given to a Bill if it affects the Royal prerogative or the interests (hereditary revenues, personal property or other interests) of the Crown, the Duchy of Lancaster or the Duchy of Cornwall. In the case of the Duchy of Cornwall, the consent is needed because of the Sovereign's reversionary interest in the Duchy; and currently, while there is a Duke of Cornwall of full age, it falls to be given by the Prince of Wales. Although the Prince of Wales' consent is expressed to the Bill itself, it relates only to the aspects of it that affect the interests of the Duchy.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure businesses are aware of the penalties for employing illegal immigrants.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency (UKBA) works closely with other Government partners, such as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and trade bodies to provide business to business communications, targeting employers with enforcement messaging about illegal working operations and civil penalties. For example, during 2010 we completed a large number of employer awareness sessions, working jointly with HMRC, reaching more than 5,700 delegates.
	The Comprehensive Guidance for Employers on preventing illegal working and the shorter Summary Guidance were updated last year and widely publicised. Both documents include clear guidance on the level of civil penalties to be levied on employers found to be employing workers illegally.
	UKBA enforcement teams complete educational visits to employers and the agency works closely with employer organisations to raise awareness of the civil penalty regime.
	National and regional media are regularly used to highlight successful enforcement and immigration crime operations, including details of the penalties faced by employers who break the rules.
	The agency uses online channels to promote operations, publish names of non-compliant employers and provide guidance on preventing illegal working. This information is provided through the UK Border Agency website, social media channels such as Twitter, and partner channels such as Businesslink.gov.uk. and Direct Gov.

Immigration: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which airports and ports in Scotland participated in the border access check pilot introduced in summer 2011.

Damian Green: The pilot of the risk based controls included the Scottish airports of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick.

Reservists

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incentives are available to encourage people to become reservists.

Andrew Robathan: There are many reasons why people join the reserve forces, including the desire to serve their country. There are an extensive range of opportunities available which can enhance professional development and personal skills to those that choose to do so. In addition a good financial package is available when the reservist meets various commitments.

Armed Forces: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training his Department provides to military personnel on responding to emergencies and natural disasters; and how many such emergencies and natural disasters have been responded to since 2008.

Nick Harvey: Those elements of the armed forces which provide specialist capabilities to the civil authorities are regularly trained and exercised for their role. These include Royal Navy ships, explosive ordnance disposal, search and rescue teams, and counter terrorist forces.
	Other elements of the armed forces will not be involved routinely in responding to emergencies or natural disasters, although they may be called upon to support the lead responders in particularly difficult circumstances. They would be provided with such training as was necessary prior to any such deployment. Defence also takes part in the UK national exercise programme in order to exercise its role in support of the civil authorities. The military chain of command in the regions of the UK also conducts regular training, education and exercising on the nature of military operations in the UK to ensure that staffs are prepared to command Defence support to civil-led operations at short notice if required.
	It is difficult precisely to categorise what constitutes an emergency or natural disaster in terms of nature, impact and geographical extent. This answer assumes a definition of crises where a number of lives are at risk, in one or more locations. Since January 2008, the Ministry of Defence has responded to approximately 14 emergencies and natural disasters overseas and nine in the UK. These include a wide range of activities from humanitarian assistance following hurricanes and tropical storms overseas to the provision of assistance to the civil authorities during severe weather in the UK. It does not include the routine provision of search and rescue or explosive ordnance disposal in the UK, nor does it include wider Defence operations such as operations in and around Libya.

Departmental Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day by his Department were answered (a) on time, (b) five days late, (c) 10 days late, (d) 20 days late and (e) over 30 days late in each month since May 2010;
	(2)  how many parliamentary questions for(a) ordinary written answer and (b) written answer on a named day by his Department have remained unanswered for a period of two months since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested for parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Month due for answer On time On time 10 sitting days late 20 sitting days late Over 30 sitting days late 
			 May 2010 0 0 0 0 0 
			 June 2010 51 51 0 0 0 
			 July 2010 40 40 1 0 0 
			 August 2010 0 0 0 0 0 
			 September 2010 24 24 0 0 0 
			 October 2010 47 47 0 0 0 
			 November 2010 73 73 0 0 0 
			 December 2010 42 42 0 0 4 
			       
			 January 2011 83 83 0 0 1 
			 February 2011 67 67 3 0 0 
			 March 2011 60 60 1 0 0 
			 April 2011 33 33 0 0 0 
			 May 2011 29 29 0 0 0 
			 June 2011 33 33 1 0 1 
			 July 2011 40 40 1 0 0 
			 August 2011 0 0 0 0 0 
			 September 2011 10 10 2 0 5 
			 October 2011 30 30 0 0 0 
		
	
	Between May 2010 and 31 October 2011, two parliamentary questions for ordinary written answer and one for written answer on a named day remained unanswered by the Ministry of Defence for a period of two months.
	The Government are committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Military Bases: Chelsfield

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  (a) how and (b) by whom the value of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was determined;
	(2)  whether claw back provisions were put in place in respect of the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot to safeguard the public interest in the event of any change of planning use;
	(3)  for what reasons (a) the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was not advertised locally, (b) no notice of the sale was posted at Chelsfield Ammunition Depot and (c) neighbouring residents were not informed of the sale of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot.

Andrew Robathan: The value of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot was determined on the open market via bids submitted on an informal tender basis. No clawback conditions were imposed on the sale.
	Chelsfield was marketed and advertised in accordance with normal procedures through GVA Grimley, the Ministry of Defence's commercial disposal agents. Anyone who had previously expressed an interest in the site was contacted directly by the Department.
	It is not normal practice to notify neighbouring residents individually of any sale.

Unemployment: Females

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many women were unemployed in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many women were unemployed in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. (80427)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Unfortunately, the sample size does not support the requested analyses of female unemployment in the Ashfield constituency and Nottinghamshire.
	As an alternative, in Table 1, we have provided the number of women receiving Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) resident in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England in (i) September 2010 and (ii) September 2011, which is the latest period for which data is available.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of women resident in (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England claiming jobseeker's allowance in September 2010 and September 2011 
			  September 2010 September 2011 
			 Ashfield 675 894 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,244 5,670 
			 England 365,664 450,198 
			 Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Applied Language Solutions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of Applied Language Solutions with Principle 8 of Schedule 1 to the Data Protection Act 1998 in respect of storage of translators' personal details and communication of information relating to the investigation of criminal offences; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Applied Language Solutions has a (a) data centre and (b) call centre in India;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's contract with Applied Language Solutions;
	(4)  what assessment his Department has made of the (a) use of mezzanine funding, (b) creditors amounts falling due within one year and (c) general financial viability of Applied Language Solutions prior to awarding it a contract for translation services; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Applied Learning Solutions (ALS) were assessed to ensure compliance with data protection regulations during the pre-qualification stage of the competition. All ALS offices, wherever their location, meet the requirements of data protection. Schedule 4 of the DPA is explicit that the Principle 8 does not apply when “The data subject has given his consent to the transfer”. The terms and conditions of registration as a linguist with Applied Language Solutions (ALS) provide for positive consent to personal data being shared across ALS's offices, irrespective of location and this is explicitly stated. Any linguist that agrees to these terms and conditions has given permission for their details to be shared outside of the EEA.
	Applied Language Solutions does have a data centre and call centre in India.
	A redacted copy of the framework agreement is available in the public domain on the Business Link Contracts Finder website at the following address:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/Common/View%20Notice.aspx?site_=1000&lang=en&noticeid=264052&fs=true
	The Ministry of Justice assesses the use of mezzanine funding dependent upon circumstances. In the case of ALS it was considered that their funding and financial position was and remains consistent with a striving, young company which, with appropriate financial aid provided by the mezzanine funding mechanism, is able to provide innovative and technical solutions. The assessment of creditors falling due within one year is nil. The general financial assessment of the company was considered during the pre-qualification stage of the tender process. This involved looking at available financial and other information and was entirely in keeping with usual practice.

Coroners

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to coroners on the sale by them of coroners' recovery services to funeral directors.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), has responsibility for coroner policy and legislation but no operational responsibility for the coroner service. Coroners are independent judicial office holders who are appointed and funded by their local authorities.
	All decisions in relation to funding for the running of the coroner service, including those the commissioning of funeral directors for body transportation of deaths reported to coroners, are solely for coroners and their local authorities.

Criminal Proceedings: Translation Services

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what criteria will be used to decide in which tier interpreter and translation will be placed under the new system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the (a) hourly, (b) daily rate of pay for interpreter and translators within (i) tier 1, (ii) tier 2 and (iii) tier 3 of the new system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(3)  whether he expects the number of interpreters and translators on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters to increase following changes to the system for delivery of interpreters and translators services in the criminal justice system;
	(4)  when he expects to withdraw from the national agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system.

Crispin Blunt: Under the new system, assignment into tiers for foreign language interpreters is dependent on a range of criteria including the qualifications and experience possessed by the individual and their assessment centre performance. I understand that Middlesex university will carry out those assessments independent of the Ministry of Justice and the supplier, using marking criteria which assesses an interpreter's coherence, accuracy, fluency and ability to convey the speakers intended effect. There is no tiering for translators.
	Rates of pay are a matter between the supplier and individual linguist. However I understand the hourly rate of pay for foreign language interpreters to be £22 for Tier 1, £20 for Tier 2 and £16 for Tier 3. Travel allowances may be payable with the agreement of the supplier. Translators will continue to be paid by the word, as they are at present.
	It is a matter for individual interpreters and translators as to whether they wish to register with the National Register of Public Service Interpreters. This register is entirely independent of Government. However, ensuring interpretation and translation is of the appropriate quality and widening the available pool of interpreters are fundamental elements of this reform, and have always been so. Under the Framework Agreement the supplier will be required to increase the numbers of appropriately qualified interpreters available for use by the justice sector generally, but particularly in relation to those languages and areas of the country where coverage is currently insufficient to meet operational needs. They will also be required to plan, for future language demand. This will ensure that we have interpreters in the languages we need, in the areas we need them. There are no current concerns about the number of available translators.
	A move to the Framework Agreement will probably render the National Agreement redundant and we expect to withdraw it in due course, but a date has not been fixed. In the short-term parts of the National Agreement will be disapplied to organisations with contracts under the MOJ Framework Agreement.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to HM Courts and Tribunals Service of cases involving litigants in person; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: HMCTS holds information relating to the percentage of litigants in person for family business and civil trials heard in the county courts and the number of Crown court sitting days relating to cases for which at least one of the defendants was unrepresented for some part of the duration of the case.
	We do not hold information in sufficient detail for litigants in person for the tribunals service, pre trial civil business, litigants in person for magistrates courts cases, nor High Court and Appeal Court cases involving litigants in person.
	Therefore, for those areas where data are held, the estimated cost to HMCTS for litigants in person in 2010-11 was around £137 million. This comprises £125 million for family business in the county court; £10 million for civil trials and £2 million for the cost of cases in the Crown court.

Sexual Offences: Crime Prevention

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to provide support for circles of accountability and support to extend their operations to reduce sex offending.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Ministry of Justice supports circles of support and accountability (COSA) by means of a grant to Circles UK. Using that grant, Circles UK supports the development of new COSAs in England and Wales. Circles UK also sets and maintains standards by quality assuring existing COSA projects. NOMS will continue to fund Circles UK through 2012-13.
	COSAs are commissioned at a local level by probation trusts and other criminal justice agencies. The number of COSA in England and Wales affiliated to Circles UK increased from 65 in September 2010 to 71 in September 2011.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many defaults there were in repayment of social fund crisis loans in each of the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The number of crisis loan write-offs in the 2010-11 financial year was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 April 2010 442 
			 May 2010 304 
			 June 2010 261 
			 July 2010 874 
			 August 2010 323 
			 September 2010 444 
			 October 2010 917 
			 November 2010 416 
			 December 2010 523 
			 January 2011 471 
			 February 2011 465 
			 March 2011 1,907 
			 Total 7,347 
		
	
	Data has been included for the financial year 2010-11, the latest year for which the audited social fund account is available.

Crisis Loans

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals making a third application for a social fund crisis loan within a 12 month period were required to attend a face-to-face interview at a jobcentre in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: The number of social fund crisis loan applicants required to attend the face to face third application interview from November 2010 to October 2011 inclusive was 487,498.
	Of these the number that actually attended their interviews was 311,276.
	These statistics are obtained from the Labour Market System and are not published.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of allowing the partner of a claimant in receipt of income-related employment and support allowance to earn up to £143 per week before their income is treated as the income of the claimant in each of the next five years.

Chris Grayling: The practical effect of this change would be that the Department would be required to disregard £143 per week of a partner's earnings when calculating entitlement to income related employment and support allowance (ESA) for all income related ESA claimants with a working partner.
	The effect is likely to be very large, leading to an increase in payments for each individual affected of up to £7,500 per year on ESA alone. It is estimated that those affected would see an average increase in their income related ESA of around £90 per week.
	Initial analysis based on the year 2012-13 suggests expenditure on ESA might increase by an estimated £500 million, rising over time in line with the ESA case load forecasts. In addition the knock-on effects in housing benefit and council tax benefit might add a further £50 million per year in expenditure.
	It is assumed the disregard for council tax benefit and housing benefit would also have to be amended to bring it in line with the ESA disregard. This adds an additional estimated £50 million per year to the expenditure.

Pensions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department provides guidance to people considering opting out of private and company pension plans.

Steve Webb: The Department currently provides information via Directgov and in leaflet form about planning for retirement, pensions and the benefits and risks of saving including some information on if you stop contributing to a pension. New material is being developed to support the introduction of automatic enrolment in 2012, this material will be available early in 2012 and will cover opting out.
	Provision of information in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Social Development, however the provision generally mirrors that in Great Britain.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether households moving onto universal credit from other benefits between October 2013 and April 2014 will receive transitional protection of the level of their state support.

Chris Grayling: We will offer transitional protection to universal credit recipients. This will ensure that they will not receive less as a result of their move to universal credit, where circumstances have remained the same.
	The process of migrating claimants to universal credit will have an impact on transitional protection. Some claimants will move to the universal credit system naturally as circumstances in a current claim change. Other people will be moved over in a process managed by DWP. Transitional protection will only be applied in the latter circumstances and where universal credit would otherwise be lower than the total current award of benefit and tax credit.
	We believe it is right to cushion recipients who are affected against a change that the Government are imposing. However it is not appropriate to protect legacy benefit amounts when circumstances underlying an award are no longer recognisable as those on which the legacy calculation was made.
	It is currently expected managed moves will commence in April 2014, and so transitional protection will only apply from this time.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 67W, on Work programme, if he will assess the desirability of statutory restrictions on sharing performance data for (a) Work programme and (b) Flexible New Deal providers.

Chris Grayling: We are clear that the UK Statistics Authority guidelines are to be followed to ensure that data are accurate and timely. Therefore the plan for Work programme data release will go ahead as previously stated.
	The figures setting out the job outcomes for Flexible New Deal have been published on the DWP website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=ddfnd

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in her Department and the bodies for which she is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The number of officials in the Department for Transport and its Executive Agencies on salaries within the ranges specified, as at 1 April 2011, is set out in the following table. None earns more than £175,000.
	
		
			 Number 
			  More than £65,000 More than £95,000 More than £140,000 
			 DFT(C) 207 24 3 
			 DSA 7 2 0 
			 DVLA 25 2 0 
			 GCDA 1 0 0 
			 HA 21 3 3 
			 MCA 3 2 0 
			 VOSA 17 0 0 
			 VCA 1 1 0 
			 Total 282 34 6 
		
	
	Information, in the format requested, on officials in the Department's non-departmental public bodies and other arm’s length organisations is not held centrally. Salary data on officials in these organisations is held on Data.Gov at:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/organogram-dft

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) her Department and (b) each public body for which she is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: Across the Department for Transport and associated public bodies, records indicate that one internship has taken place since 1 November last year that fits the specified criteria (a two week placement at High Speed 2 Ltd).
	In addition, the Department is supporting work experience that falls within the Government's 'Get Britain Working' programme. Under this initiative, the Department has delivered 125 work experience placements to date allocated from Job Centre Plus. Placements are continuing across all agencies and the central Department and are offered to jobseeker’s allowance customers aged 18-24 whose limited experience of work is acting as a barrier to employment. Although these placements are unpaid in terms of departmental funding, candidates do remain in receipt of their benefits while in post.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by her Department using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08 , (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Norman Baker: Data for 2007-08 are not available and to obtain would result in disproportional cost. In addition, level 3 or enhanced transaction entry details for 2008-09 and 2009-10 could be provided only at disproportional cost.
	A recent Freedom of Information (FOI)—F0007430 reply, dated 8 June 2011, requested details of Government Procurement cards spend above £500 for 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 (up to June 2010).
	This reply and the associated spreadsheets has been placed on the DFT website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/foi/dft-f0007430

Railways: Kent

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of investment in selective heating of conductor rails on the rail line between Faversham and Ramsgate.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail is rolling out an extensive programme of conductor rail heating across London and the south-east which is due to be completed by January 2012. Routes in Kent that will benefit from this investment include Ramsgate to London Charing Cross via Canterbury West and Faversham to London Victoria via the Medway Towns. The installation of conductor rail heating between Ramsgate and Faversham should be carried out next year.

Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  on what date (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department last met (i) the chief executive and (ii) other representatives of (A) EDF Energy, (B) Centrica, (C) Scottish Power, (D) RWE NPower, (E) E.on and (F) Scottish and Southern Energy;
	(2)  how many times he has met the chief executive of (a) EDF Energy, (b) Centrica, (c) Scottish Power, (d) RWE NPower, (e) E.on and (f) Scottish and Southern Energy since May 2010; and on what dates such meetings took place;
	(3)  on how many occasions he has attended a function at the invitation of (a) EDF Energy, (b) Centrica, (c) Scottish Power, (d) RWE NPower, (e) E.on and (f) Scottish and Southern Energy in an official capacity since May 2010; and on what dates any such functions took place.

Charles Hendry: Ministers meet and attend functions with energy supplies on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues. Quarterly lists of DECC Ministers’ meetings that involve outside interested parties are published on the DECC website, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx

Energy: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Ofgem on prohibiting the practice of doorstep selling by energy companies; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: DECC Ministers meet with Ofgem officials on a regular basis to discuss energy issues, including issues relating to the protection of energy consumers.
	Ofgem is responsible for regulating gas and electricity supply, including the marketing activities used by suppliers, it is therefore for them to consider whether the evidence showed that a ban on doorstep sales was clearly in the consumer interests.
	I note that most of the large energy suppliers have announced they will suspend or cease doorstep sales.

Fuel Poverty

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the expenditure required on household energy efficiency in order to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.

Gregory Barker: The Coalition Government are committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to end fuel poverty in England by 2016 and to helping people, especially low income vulnerable households, heat their homes more affordably. There are three contributory factors to a household being in fuel poverty, the household’s income, the energy efficiency of the property and energy prices.
	While we have made no assessment of the level of energy efficiency expenditure that would be required to eliminate fuel poverty by 2016, there are a number of policies in place to improve the energy efficiency of low income and vulnerable households, including Warm Front and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target. In the future, the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation will provide support with heating and energy efficiency measures to those who need it most.
	In addition, the new warm home discount scheme will assist up to 2 million homes each year, helping among others, over 600,000 pensioners in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit with £120 off their energy bills this winter.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what his policy is on provision of a higher level feed-in tariff rate for school buildings;
	(2)  what assessment he has made on the potential effect of his proposal to reduce the feed-in tariff on schemes providing solar energy to schools.

Gregory Barker: holding answer 10 November 2011
	Under both the current and proposed feed-in tariffs (FITs), schools would be eligible for the same level of support as other types of generator. The Department has not assessed the specific effect of the proposed new tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV) on schools. The proposed tariffs are designed to provide a 4.5%-5% return on capital, which is in line with the original intention of the scheme and which should still be attractive for households and communities interested in installing solar PV, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates.
	The Government's current consultation on FITs for solar PV seeks views on whether more could be done to enable genuine community projects to achieve real benefits from FITs and whether, for example, a definition of community scheme is required and, if so, how this should be defined. We will provide more detail on FITs for community-based schemes as part of phase 2 of the comprehensive review.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 613-14, on feed-in tariffs, what impact assessment he has made in relation to the number of community schemes that are currently in progress but will not proceed as a result of his proposals and the 12 December deadline.

Gregory Barker: The new tariffs proposed in consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV are intended to provide a return on capital of 4,5-5% for well-sited installations. These returns should still be attractive for householders and communities, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates. The impact assessment supporting the consultation assesses the impacts of the consultation proposals and estimates that solar PV installations will continue to come forward. These installations could include community projects although the impact assessment does not provide detailed estimates on installation types.

Solar Power

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the number of UK solar companies (a) nationally, (b) in each region and (c) in each parliamentary constituency.

Charles Hendry: The current number of solar PV installation companies certified under microgeneration certification scheme is 3,241. The Department does not hold the information by parliamentary constituency; however, the regional breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			 Regions PV companies 
			 Yorkshire Humberside 284 
			 North East 131 
			 North West 335 
			 South East 687 
			 South West 476 
			 East Midlands 313 
			 West Midlands 295 
			 East England 246 
			 London 77 
			 Isle of Wight 7 
			 Isle of Man 1 
			 Scotland 162 
			 Wales 214 
			 Northern Ireland 12

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what modelling his Department has carried out on the effect of the proposed generation tariffs for solar photovoltaic energy on the rate of return.

Charles Hendry: The proposed tariffs are intended to provide a rate of return on capital of approximately 4.5%-5% for well sited installations.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, columns 609-10, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of solar PV community schemes which will not go ahead as a result of reductions in the subsidy available under the feed-in-tariff scheme.

Gregory Barker: The new tariffs proposed in consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV are intended to provide a return on capital of 4.5-5% for well-sited installations. These returns should still be attractive for householders and communities, particularly in the current climate of record low interest rates. The impact assessment supporting the consultation assesses the impacts of the consultation proposals and estimates that solar PV installations will continue to come forward. These installations could include community projects although the impact assessment does not provide detailed estimates on installation types.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the contribution by the Minister of State for Climate Change of 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 608, on feed-in tariffs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) jobs in the solar industry and (b) solar photovoltaic installations in (i) the UK and (ii) Germany.

Gregory Barker: We estimate that, based on the number of solar photovoltaic installations by the end of October 2011, around 8,000 to 14,000 gross full-time equivalent jobs have been supported by solar PV since the introduction of the Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme. The total number of people doing some solar PV work is likely to be higher than this range because those who are involved in solar PV installations are also likely to undertake other tasks linked to their employment. We have not made any estimates of employment in the German PV sector.
	Data on solar PV installations in Germany are published by the IEA. These data cover capacity only and show that at the end of 2009 9,800 MW had been installed in Germany.
	Data for the UK are published monthly on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/electricity/electricity.aspx
	At the end of October 2011 329 MW of solar PV had been confirmed onto the FIT scheme. Data from the microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) register suggest that a further 96 MW of small scale (sub-50 kW) has been installed but has not yet registered for FITs. Data from the MCS should be seen as an indicator of early activity, there is no guarantee that all schemes will be confirmed onto FITs.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the estimated cost in the current comprehensive spending review period would be of moving the reference date for the new solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs from 12 December 2011 to 1 April 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar PV:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-IA-solar-pv-draft.pdf
	estimates the range of costs to consumers for a Reference Date of 12 December 2011 (Option 2) and a Reference Date of 1 April 2012 (Option 3). The difference between these two options in cost to consumers over the current comprehensive spending review period ranges from £60 million to £430 million under different uptake scenarios, with a central estimate of £190 million (costs in 2011 prices, discounted).
	With no change to tariffs, under central uptake scenarios the Impact Assessment shows that FITs would increase annual household electricity bills by around £26 per year in 2020; under high growth scenarios this figure would be in the order of £55 per year in 2020.
	There is considerable uncertainty around future bill impacts of FITs as solar PV costs have declined rapidly to date and hence future costs (and therefore uptake) are uncertain.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the merits of a reduction in solar photovoltaic feed-in tariffs of (a) 10 per cent., (b) 20 per cent., (c) 30 per cent. and (d) 40 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Government are currently consulting on proposals to reduce Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The proposed new tariffs have been set in the light of information from the comprehensive review. This includes evidence that, since the FITs scheme started, PV costs have fallen by at least 30% and retail electricity prices have increased by 13%. In the light of this, the proposed new tariffs are intended to provide a 4.5% to 5% return on capital for a well sited installation which is similar to the target return for solar PV when the FITs were first introduced. Higher tariffs would result in higher returns than ever intended for solar PV under FITs. The Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation provides further details of how the assessment was made, which was not on the same basis as that set out in the question.
	The consultation closes on 23 December 2011 and we will consider all representations received.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect on the income of solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing and installation companies of the proposed reductions in solar PV feed-in tariffs.

Gregory Barker: The Impact Assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV) estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The number of installations are expected to be between 70% and 95% less for different tariff bands than under the "Do Nothing scenario". The Impact Assessment does not estimate the specific impact of this, or the potential new business opportunities arising from the consultation proposals on energy efficiency, on the income of solar PV manufacturing and installation companies.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects on future levels in investment in the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry as a result of the proposed reductions in solar PV tariffs.

Gregory Barker: An Impact Assessment has been published to support the consultation on Feed-in Tariffs for solar photovoltaics (PV). This sets out the expected impact on generation, and on employment, of the changes proposed in the consultation. The Impact Assessment is available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-ia-solar-pv-draft.pdf

Wind Power

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind turbines have been constructed in each year since 2005.

Charles Hendry: The following table shows the number of wind turbines installed and operational each year from 2005. All data is sourced from the renewable energy planning database which tracks the progress of renewable electricity projects in the United Kingdom from inception, through planning, construction and operational phases, and is updated on a monthly basis.(1, 2)
	(1) https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/planning-database/
	(2) Data includes resubmitted applications but excludes many small-scale, micro-generation sites, typically of less than 50 kW installed capacity.
	
		
			  Number of onshore Capacity of onshore (MW) Number of offshore Capacity of offshore (MW) 
			 2005 321 428 30 90 
			 2006 216 434 30 90 
			 2007 290 555 27 100 
			 2008 316 588 54 194 
			 2009 258 422 103 353 
			 2010 336 614 130 390 
			 2011(1) 100 188 51 184 
			 (1) As at end September 2011.

Baby Care Units

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mortality rates were in each neonatal unit in each of the last three years.

Anne Milton: This information is not available centrally.
	Since 2009, the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit (NDAU) has published data on the number of deaths by neonatal network code. Deaths are recorded by neonatal network, rather than neonatal unit, because babies are transferred between units. Published data is set out in the following table. Note that the 2008 data (absolute numbers) are not available. The 2009 and 2010 data is not directly comparable. Data coverage for 2010 was improved, but coverage for both years is incomplete. The data is therefore not representative of the total number of deaths that occurred. From 2011 onward, NDAU plan to publish statistics by network name.
	
		
			  Number of babies in neonatal care (<33 weeks gestational age) Observed deaths 
			 Network code 2009 2010 2009 2010 
			 100011(1) 287 267 22 28 
			 100012 280 264 19 20 
			 100059(2) 443 615 39 57 
			 100070(3) 266 385 15 32 
			 100071(3) 327 423 13 29 
			 100078 205 288 8 20 
			 100088(2) 261 262 11 14 
			 100106 307 284 25 17 
			 100107(3) 164 — 12 — 
			 100108(3) 248 602 20 59 
			 100109(3) 261 404 12 31 
			 100110(2) 15 188 1 19 
			 100111(1) — 122 — 16 
			 100113(1) — 25 — 5 
			 100115(2) 397 519 43 36 
			 100118(3) 160 207 7 14 
			 100142(2) 286 560 20 35 
			 100150(1) 406 297 34 19 
			 100162(1) 287 146 33 11 
			 100196(3) 362 413 23 27 
			 100208(2) 346 484 22 42 
			 100209(1) — 231 — 28 
			 100210(2) 131 329 11 23 
			 100524 412 383 40 23 
			 (1) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2010. (2) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2009-10. (3) Not all the neonatal units within the network have provided data for 2009. Notes: 1. Number of neonatal deaths (<33 weeks gestation at birth) by neonatal network of booking 1 in England, 2009, 2010 2. Determined by intended place of delivery. Source: Neonatal Data Analysis Unit (NDAU), Imperial College. 
		
	
	Further information about the NDAU’s work can be obtained from the NDAU Division of Medicine, Imperial College London, Academic Department of Neonatal Medicine, 4(th) Floor, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH.

Departmental Equal Opportunities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to promote equality of opportunity for its employees.

Simon Burns: The Department of Health has a number of strategies and policies in place to promote equality of opportunity. These include the Single Equality Scheme; a Diversity Delivery Plan; an equal opportunities statement; and a range of human resources and diversity-specific policies that are designed to promote and embed equality considerations in all decision-making processes and ways of working (including those covering desired behaviours).
	All relevant policies and practices are assessed for the impact on equality. All strategies, policies and initiatives are communicated to staff, using a range of media, including ‘face-to-face’ team briefings

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve access to specialist healthcare support for diabetics in care homes; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Paul Burstow: It is for local national health service organisations to commission a comprehensive service for all people with diabetes, including access to specialist health care.
	Diabetes management in care homes continues to pose significant challenges to health and social care professionals in the provision of high quality safe and effective care. We welcome work undertaken in 2010 by a Task and Finish Group of Diabetes UK, led by Professor Alan Sinclair, which produced ‘Good clinical practice guidelines for care home residents with diabetes’. The need for specialist input is an important recommendation of this national guidance.
	The guidance is available on the Diabetes UK website at:
	www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/About%20Us/Our%20 views/Care%20recs/Care-homes-0110.pdf
	In addition to the work listed above, the Older People's Steering Group of NHS Diabetes, chaired by Professor Sinclair, has been involved in undertaking a large diabetes audit within care homes during the previous 12 months. While this audit shows evidence of variation in the quality of care, a lack of knowledge of diabetes among care home staff, and absence of specific diabetes policies, there does appear to be enthusiasm within care homes to enhance the quality of care and to be more engaged in promoting training and education of staff. A number of initiatives are taking place to look at the risk of hypoglycaemia and medication errors in care homes, as well as developing a national course to educate care home staff in some aspects of diabetes management.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to encourage the provision of lifestyle management techniques education to (a) those with diabetes and (b) those at risk of developing diabetes. [R]

Paul Burstow: Type 1 diabetes is not currently preventable. Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to lifestyle factors such as being overweight or physical inactivity.
	For those people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) emphasise the importance of patient education. This is reflected in the NICE Quality Standard for Diabetes. The 2011-12 NHS Operating Framework also signals the need to commission patient structured education for people newly diagnosed with diabetes and at appropriate points in their life as their condition progresses.
	The Government recently published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England”, which sets out our commitment to key programmes such as Change4Life and the NHS Health Check.
	In July 2011, the chief medical officer also published revised physical activity guidelines. The guidelines set out clear recommendations on the amount of physical activity people need to do to benefit their health, and how it can fit into their daily lives. The report includes evidence to show that there is a 30 to 40% lower risk of type 2 diabetes in at least moderately active people compared with those who are sedentary.
	NICE also recently published guidance on preventing type 2 diabetes: population and community-level interventions in high-risk groups and the general population. A second piece of guidance on type 2 diabetes, looking at interventions aimed at individuals at high risk, is due to be published in May 2012.

Health Services: Older People

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unplanned hospital admissions for people aged 65 years and over there were, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) NHS commissioner in each month in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Paul Burstow: The Department does not have data in the format requested but does have data with a count of finished admission episodes (FAEs) where the age of the patient is 65 or over; by month, primary care trust of responsibility and local authority of residence for the years 2008-09 to 2011-12. Data for 2011-12 are provisional and only for the months April to June inclusive.
	It should be noted that FAEs is not a count of patients as a patient may have been admitted more than once during the period stated. The footnotes contain further information which should be used when interpreting the data.
	This information has been placed in the Library.
	Source
	NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a new national service framework for cardiac services;
	(2)  what assessment he made of the merits of appointing a cardiac specialist to the NHS Commissioning Board;
	(3)  what plans he has for the future role of stroke clinical networks under his proposals for NHS reorganisation;
	(4)  when he expects to announce the appointment of the next National Clinical Director for Stroke.

Simon Burns: The Government have committed to embed and strengthen existing clinical networks and to use clinical networks to help ensure that a range of professionals play an integral part in continuously improving the quality of services and care for patients. A review of clinical networks is currently under way to consider the functions, structures and governance that will mostly effectively support commissioners to deliver improved quality and outcomes in the future. From April 2013, funding of clinical networks will be a decision for the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB).
	Future arrangements for the provision of senior clinical advice and the development of clinical strategies are being discussed as part of developing the role of the NHS CB.

Hospitals: Consultants

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of redundancies of consultants in each of the next three years.

Simon Burns: There is no estimate of the number of redundancies of consultants in each of the next three years.
	Work force planning is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. They have to analyse their local situation, develop plans and take action to recruit the appropriate staff required to deliver high quality services.
	The latest monthly workforce statistics for July 2011 show that since May 2010 the number of consultants working in the national health service in England has increased by 1,412 (4.0%) to 36,586.

Injuries: Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were admitted to hospital for injuries caused by dog attacks in each strategic health authority area since June 2010; and what the estimated cost to the NHS is of such admissions.

Simon Burns: The information requested is in the following table. Numbers of admissions from March 2011 is not yet available.
	The information requested on the costs to the national health service is not collected centrally.
	
		
			 Number of finished admission episodes  (1 )  with a cause code of bitten or struck by dog  (2)  , by strategic health authority (SHA) of residence  (3)  , June 2010 to March 2011 
			   2010 2011  
			 SHA Description Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Total 
			 Q30 North East Strategic Health Authority 49 47 53 44 40 35 34 38 34 34 408 
			 Q31 North West Strategic Health Authority 96 100 97 92 97 82 73 93 75 83 888 
			 Q32 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 73 78 86 83 77 62 49 69 49 63 689 
			 033 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 39 39 36 34 33 37 36 39 35 28 356 
			 034 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 71 59 62 43 58 35 48 45 41 41 503 
			 Q35 East of England Strategic Health Authority 39 49 56 35 42 48 48 23 36 51 427 
			 Q36 London Strategic Health Authority 42 39 43 47 44 46 51 49 43 52 456 
			 Q37 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority 30 23 31 24 25 22 8 26 18 26 233 
			 Q38 South Central Strategic Health Authority 43 59 45 47 48 50 39 39 34 49 453 
			 Q39 South West Strategic Health Authority 56 38 54 41 45 61 42 31 28 48 444 
		
	
	
		
			  Other/unknown 10 7 3 8 4 6 8 6 6 4 62 
			 (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Cause code A supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in hospital episode statistics. Cause code used: W54—Bitten or struck by dog. (3) SHA/primary care trust (PCT) of residence The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. Note: Activity included Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.

Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of former armed forces personnel who have experienced mental health problems in each of the last 10 years .

Simon Burns: The fact that someone has served in the armed forces is not recorded within national health service information systems, so these figures are not available.
	The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Defence to improve the information provided to general practitioners (GPs) on the discharge of forces personnel, so that veterans can be more easily identified.
	The report “Fighting Fit”, published in October 2010, by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), was also focused on the improvement of mental health outcomes for veterans. One of its recommendations is that a 'Veterans Information Service' be established, which will follow veterans up to 12 months after leaving the forces and furnish the NHS with more information regarding their mental healthcare.
	Lastly, the Department also recently developed and launched an e-learning package aimed at GPs, in conjunction with the Royal College of General Practitioners. The aim of this work is to better familiarise' GPs with the specific needs and issues they may face as part of the ex-service community. There is a specific part of this course which focuses on mental health.

Mental Health Services: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available for community groups to assist veterans with mental health problems.

Simon Burns: Over the past year, the Department has committed considerable resource towards the improvement of outcomes for veterans' mental health.
	Dr Andrew Murrison's report ‘Fighting Fit’, a mental health plan for servicemen and veterans, was published in October 2010 with the aim of improving outcomes for veterans in this area. The Government accepted all of Dr Murrison's recommendations and immediately announced that they would commit £7.2 million, over the four-year spending review period, to achieve his specified objectives.
	During the course of 2009-11, the Department assisted in the set-up and functioning of ‘Armed Forces Networks’ in each strategic health authority area. The aim of these has been to bring together a partnership in each local area of any national health service, third sector, local government and other stakeholders with an interest in military and veterans' health and well-being. It has been by working in conjunction with these networks—operational within each local community—that the Department has been able to get the money out to take forward ground-breaking work in this important area.
	The following is a summary of some of the type of work that has been taken forward:
	Vulnerable Veterans and Adult Dependants: a fast-track mental health service in the north-west located at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire. Since it was launched, specially-trained therapists taking referrals through the service have seen 2,000 patients and provided 1,300 hours of therapy to patients suffering from anxiety/depression/ post-traumatic stress disorder. The service allows people to be seen within weeks.
	Finchale College, based in Durham, provides customised programmes of vocational rehabilitation to those with disabilities for return to employment. The college has been working with veterans.
	South-West Veterans' Mental Health Veterans' Partnership Service—developed in partnership with the South West Armed Forces Network, and Combat Stress, and supported by Help for Heroes. The service has a self-referral service where veterans can find help.
	Veterans' mental health services are now being rolled out all over the country in conjunction with Armed Forces Networks and using departmental funding. For example, the North West's Military Veterans' Service was launched on 11 November 2011 in conjunction with the Armed Forces Network, and Pennine Care NHS Trust. Also, the charity ‘London Timebank’ launched the Shoulder to Shoulder pilot project in conjunction with Combat Stress. This is a peer mentoring project for ex-servicemen and women by other veterans who have successfully made the transition out into civilian life.

Palliative Care: Finance

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to his Department’s end-of-life care strategy after 2011; and what proportion of such funding has been ring-fenced for the 12 key activities identified in that strategy.

Paul Burstow: Funding for the End of Life Care Strategy remains in primary care trust (PCT) baseline allocations. PCT allocations are not ring-fenced. It is for individual PCTs to decide how best to deliver implementation, including how much funding to provide for the key priorities the strategy identified.
	For 2011-12, £5.5 million has been allocated to support national work and projects and an indicative allocation of £38.7 million has been made under the Multi Professional Education and Training (MPET) budget for staff training and development in end of life care. The MPET funding is allocated to strategic health authorities (SHAs). It is not ring-fenced and responsibility for how the MPET budget is spent lies with the SHAs.
	Central programme budgets for 2012-13 onwards have not yet been set.

Skin Cancer

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's strategy Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of malignant melanoma.

Anne Milton: In 2011-12, the Department has funded SunSmart, the national skin cancer prevention campaign, to provide information and advice to the public. This involves a number of activities focusing on sun safety and appropriate sunbed use.
	The Department has also published implementation guidance for local authorities on the Sunbeds (Regulation) Act 2010 and information for Sunbed Businesses. The purpose of the Act is to prevent those under 18 years from being allowed to use sunbeds in commercial premises.

Departmental Data Protection

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 104W, on departmental data protection, if he will name the (a) Minister and (b) bookkeeper who was provided with the Minister’s diary.

Edward Davey: It would not be fair to the individual or lawful under the Data Protection Act to release the name of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my noble Friend Baroness Wilcox’s bookkeeper.

Departmental Regulation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Edward Davey: Records for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (and the previous Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Department for Trade and Industry) indicate that the following numbers of statutory instruments, including Regulatory Reform Orders and a few local Orders, were issued, in the following calendar year:
	
		
			  Total 
			 1990 144 
			 1995 112 
			 1999 176 
			 2000 146 
			 2001 126 
			 2002 128 
			 2003 152 
			 2004 135 
			 2005 128 
			 2006 119 
			 2007 115 
			 2008 125 
			 2009 128 
			 2010 92 
			 2011 (to date) 69 
		
	
	The following Legislative Reform Orders were issued by the Department (and the then Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) by parliamentary session.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007-08 (1)2 
			 2008-09 (2)4 
			 2009-10 0 
			 2010-11 0 
			 (1) Verification of Weighing and Measurement Order 2008 Consumer Credit Order 2008 (2) Insolvency (Miscellaneous Provision) Order 2009 Insolvency (Miscellaneous Provision) Order 2009 Limited Partnerships Order 2009 Insolvency (Advertising Requirements) Order 2009 
		
	
	The figures have been drawn from the Department's database and written records, which, as with any recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely (a) turnover, (b) level of employment and (c) level of exports attributable to the low-carbon and environmental goods and services sector in each year to 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: HM Government have made no estimates of the projected turnover, employment level or export level in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector.
	However, independent research commissioned by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills estimated the turnover, exports, number of jobs and forecast growth of the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector. Estimates include activity across the supply chain. The most recent data reports on the 2009-10 financial year. The following tables provide 2009-10 turnover, employment and export estimates and growth forecasts until 2015-16.
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Total sales (£ million) 
			 2007-08 107,343 
			 2008-09 112,004 
			 2009-10 116,780 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Total employment 
			 2007-08 908,107 
			 2008-09 909,782 
			 2009-10 914,273 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Exports (£ million) 
			 2007-08 10,454 
			 2008-09 10,904 
			 2009-10 11,326 
		
	
	
		
			 UK LCEGS 
			  Growth estimates  (1)   (%) 
			 2010-11 4.8 
			 2011-12 5 
			 2012-13 5.1 
			 2013-14 5.3 
			 2014-15 5.4 
		
	
	
		
			 2015-16 5.6 
			 (1 )Growth forecasts provided are based on aggregated forecasts for turnover. Source: K-Matrix 2011.

Higher Education: Admissions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UCAS applications have been submitted by residents of (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) the Wirral, (c) the North West region and (d) England in (i) the current academic year and (ii) each of the last five academic years.

David Willetts: The latest information is in the following table and has been provided by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Applicants to UCAS by parliamentary constituency/region 
			  Year of entry 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011  (2) 
			 Wallasey constituency(1) 632 674 751 841 889 903 
			 The Wirral 2,439 2,576 2,862 3,099 3,263 3,287 
			 The North West 49,125 51,954 58,299 64,644 68,965 68,721 
			 England 358,067 380,077 424,596 461,421 495,884 497,710 
			 (1) Parliamentary constituency has been identified using the home postcode regardless of the declared area of permanent residence. (2) Since final data for the 2010-11 admission cycle (for entry into the 2011-12 academic year) has not yet been published, data reported in the above table reflects UCAS data taken 55 days (ie 12 October 2011) following the publication of A-level results on 18 August 2011. Final end of cycle data will be available in mid December.

Higher Education: Ethnic Groups

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people from Black and minority ethnic groups in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency applied to university for entry in (a) 2011-12 and (b) each of the previous five academic years.

David Willetts: The latest information is shown in the following table, and has been provided by the Universities and Admissions Service (UCAS).
	
		
			 Applicants domiciled in Birmingham Ladywood  (1)   constituency by ethnicity  (2) 
			  Year of entry 
			 Ethnic background 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011  (3) 
			 Black, Asian, Mixed and other ethnic backgrounds 808 892 982 1,107 1,281 1,252 
			 White 96 100 101 146 175 137 
			 Unknown 258 232 315 323 202 189 
			 Total 1,162 1,224 1,398 1,576 1,658 1,578 
			 (1) Birmingham Ladywood constituency has been identified using the home postcode regardless of declared area of permanent residence. (2) While completion of the ethnic origin field is mandatory for those with a declared area of permanent residence in the UK, applicants can indicate that they prefer not to say what their ethnic origin is. Data on the ethnic origin of applicants is not passed to institutions until after the selection process. Where the ethnic origin has not been detailed in this analysis, this is recorded as “Unknown”. (3) Since the 2010-11 admission cycle (for entry into the 2011-12 academic cycle) has not yet closed, data reported in the table reflects UCAS data taken 55 days (i.e. 12 October 2011) following the publication of A level results on 18 August 2011 (formerly referred to as “provisional end of cycle data”). Final end of cycle data will be available in mid December.

Higher Education: Finance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the policy priorities set out in his 2010 grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England, whether he plans to include in his 2011 letter a provision that the top policy priorities for targeted funding should be supporting widening participation and fair access.

David Willetts: The Higher Education White Paper, “Students at the Heart of the System” published in June this year, sets out clearly the importance the Government places on widening participation and improving fair access to higher education. We have been clear that all those with the ability should have access to higher education irrespective of their background or family income. Following the publication of the White Paper BIS Ministers wrote to Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) setting out priorities for funding which include the additional costs associated with attracting and retaining students from non-traditional backgrounds, and disabled students.
	Government will signal their priorities for 2012/13 funding to HEFCE in the grant letter that will be issued at the turn of the year.

Lip Reading

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to reclassify lip-reading as an essential skill for the purposes of skills funding.

John Hayes: "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" (November, 2010) recognises the importance of access to further education and skills training for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Where lip-reading skills may be needed to help deaf people get into work then these would be funded through the single adult skills budget.
	Where people choose to learn lip reading for general interest purposes, a college or training provider may ask the individual to contribute fully or partially towards the cost.
	In recent discussions with “Action for Hearing Loss” it was agreed that there are different “categories” of need for lip-reading skills and BIS officials are exploring with Action for Hearing Loss where skills funding can be used appropriately for lip reading provision.

Burma: Overseas Aid

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will increase funding provided by his Department for assistance to refugees and internally displaced peoples along the Thailand-Burma border.

Andrew Mitchell: Britain is in the process of reviewing its last three year's assistance to refugees and internally displaced people (IDP) along the Thailand-Burma border. This will include a full review of results achieved so far, how effective we have been at meeting programme objectives and whether the UK's aid is providing good value for money. The review will help inform the Department for International Development's (DFID) future programme of support for IDPs and refugees along the Thailand-Burma border and decisions on funding. DFID remains fully committed to providing humanitarian aid to Burmese refugees in Thailand and people affected by conflict in eastern Burma.

Departmental Written Questions

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many parliamentary questions for written answer on a named day by his Department were answered (a) on time, (b) five days late, (c) 10 days late, (d) 20 days late and (e) over 30 days late in each month since May 2010.

Andrew Mitchell: I have placed in the Library, a table documenting my Departments' PQ performance since May 2010.
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the committee at the end of the session. Statistics relating to Government Departments' performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Developing Countries: Family Planning

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answers of 6 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1264-65W, and 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 578W, on developing countries: family planning, what proportion of the sums allocated (a) to the United Nations Population Fund in the next two years, (b) to International Planned Parenthood in the next two years and (c) to Marie Stopes International in the next three years is to be spent on sterilisation and abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) and MSI (Marie Stopes International) all receive core funding from the Department for International Development. All of DFID's funding must be used in a manner that is consistent with DFID policy.
	This support is used to cover administration costs as well as investing in specific programmes and projects at country level that improve maternal and reproductive health. Guidance on how these funds are spent is contained in a memorandum of understanding between DFID and UNFPA.
	Information about the funding that DFID provides to IPPF and MSI is available in the Library of the House. DFID's support to IPPF and MSI can be used flexibly by both organisations, as long as they are able to meet the objectives and measurable performance indicators that have been agreed by DFID. DFID does not ask for disaggregated expenditure figures for each organisation.
	The UK is committed to improving women's health and reducing the number of women dying from pregnancy and childbirth. DFID's support to these organisations saves women's and girl's lives as well as preventing injury and illness through improving access to family planning and reducing recourse to unsafe abortion.
	Effective family planning is about a service and approach that gives people choice over their future and provides safe, secure services where they are needed. One aspect of this, entails expanding the choice of family planning methods available to people, including short and long-term reversible contraceptives and, for those who have completed their families, the option of voluntary male or female sterilisation. DFID is clear that where women have no other choice than to have an abortion, this should take place in a safe environment instead of back street operations which cost 47,000 lives every year.

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the UK has committed to South Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) programme allocation for assistance to the Republic of South Sudan over the current comprehensive spending review (CSR) cycle is £376.6 million. The annual trajectory is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 90.6 
			 2012-13 91 
			 2013-14 96 
			 2014-15 99 
		
	
	The programme has also been allocated £2.6 million this financial year from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) which is co managed between DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.
	DFID’s Operational Plan for the Republic of South Sudan, which was published shortly after Independence, lists a number of targets aligned to the Republic of South Sudan Government’s national Development Plan. These include the following projected results by 31 March 2015:
	240,000 more children to complete primary school
	750,000 people to be treated for or prevented from getting malaria
	4 million people to receive life-saving health care and nutrition
	The printing and distribution of 12 million textbooks to almost 2 million children
	Increased private sector investment and trade by reducing cross border transport costs by up to 15%.

Financial Services: Complaints

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many complaints were made to the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to life insurance policies in each year between 1997 and 2005; and how many were resolved (a) at the assessment stage, (b) after investigation by an adjudicator and (c) by final decision of an ombudsman in each case;
	(2)  how many cases were received by the Financial Ombudsman Service in relation to the sale of (a) critical illness insurance, (b) payment protection insurance, (c) term life assurance and (d) income protection in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many cases were received by the Financial Ombudsman Service in each of the last five years; and how many were resolved in each year;
	(4)  how many endowment mortgage complaints were upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service and rejected by insurance companies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The matters raised are for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), whose day-to-day operations are independent from government control and influence. The questions have been passed on to the FOS, which will reply to you directly by letter. A copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Industry: Production

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the most recent industrial production figures published by the Office for National Statistics; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the levels of industrial production for (a) future economic growth and (b) employment levels.

Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics published the latest Index of Production release, covering the third quarter of 2011, on 8 November 2011. This release showed industrial production to have grown by 0.4% in the third quarter and manufacturing output by 0.2%. Manufacturing output is now 7.7% above its low in the third quarter of 2009.
	HM Treasury uses a wide range of indicators to assess progress against its economic policy objective of achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries, of which the Index of Production is one. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that the Office for Budget Responsibility will be publishing its Economic and Fiscal Outlook alongside his autumn statement on 29 November. This will include a forecast for future economic growth and employment.

Interest Rates

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to altering the five per cent. surcharge rate introduced by the Finance Act 1970 due to current rates of interest.

David Gauke: I am replying on the basis that the 5% surcharge in question is that provided by Section 59C Taxes Management Act 1970 (Surcharges on unpaid income tax and capital gains tax).
	Following public consultation, these surcharges were replaced by a new penalty regime for failure to make payments of tax on time in schedule 56 of Finance Act 2009. The new regime came into effect on 6 April 2011 for payments of income tax and capital gains tax.

International Monetary Fund

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contributions were made to the International Monetary Fund in each year from 1997 to 2011.

Mark Hoban: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) publishes a summary of all members' financial position with the IMF, including contributions to IMF lending resource. The data cover the period 1997 to 2011 on a monthly basis.
	This can be found on their website:
	www.imf.org/external/np/fin/tad/exfin2.aspx?memberkey1 =1010&date1key=2011-07-31

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the proportion of small businesses using payroll software from providers with whom he is discussing upgrading their products for real-time PAYE.

David Gauke: Based on 2010 employers' end of year returns, approximately 1 million small employers, or their agents, are using commercial payroll software. A further half a million small employers' returns were submitted using HMRC's free PAYE products.
	The majority of small employers will begin submitting real time information in April 2013. HMRC has been liaising with all payroll software developers registered with HMRC's Software Developers' Support Team since autumn 2010 to ensure that they develop their payroll software products in time for this.
	Employers with nine employees or fewer will be able to download HMRC's free 'Basic PAYE Tools' to calculate PAYE deductions and send real time information.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Public Houses

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to review the level of stamp duty payable on (a) new leases and (b) renewal of leases for public houses.

Chloe Smith: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), keeps all taxes, including stamp duty land tax, under review at the Budget.

Bahrain: Politics and Government

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Bahrain concerning sentences imposed on doctors and nurses who provided medical treatment for those involved in recent public disorder and unrest.

Alistair Burt: I was deeply concerned to hear of the sentencing of Bahraini medical personnel after the briefest of hearings in a Special Tribunal on 29 September 2011. The sentences appeared disproportionate to the charges brought against the individuals and undermined the Bahraini Government's attempts to move towards dialogue and reform. I spoke to the Bahraini ambassador in London on 30 September to reiterate this.
	I was therefore pleased by the Bahraini Attorney General's announcement the following week that the case would be retried in a civilian court. We continue to encourage the authorities to ensure due process is fairly and transparently followed in all cases.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board.

David Lidington: The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board provides essential guidance and support to the High Representative in the exercise of his mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement. It also performs regular assessments of Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards the completion of the '5+2' conditions agreed by the PIC for the Office of the High Representative's (OHR) closure. It continues to meet at ambassadorial level in Sarajevo every week, and formally at foreign ministry senior official level every four months. By bringing together the most important international supporters of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the PIC Steering Board plays a vital role in supporting the terms of the Peace Agreement.
	The British Government continues to support the work of the High Representative and to take an active role in the Steering Board. It considers completion of the conditions set by the PIC as the right indicators for when Bosnia and Herzegovina can function without the OHR. At its most recent meeting, on 6 July 2011, the Steering Board concluded that this conditionality had not been met and expressed its concern at the lack of progress made in this regard.

Central America

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials of his Department are stationed in countries of the System of Central American Integration.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has approximately 85 staff based in the countries of the System of Central American Integration. This number will rise to approximately 95 as part of the network shift towards Latin America announced to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in April. This includes staffing of the new embassy in San Salvador which will open next year. These numbers include UK-based civil servants and staff employed locally. For operational and security reasons, we cannot provide a more detailed breakdown.

China: Elections

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Chinese government on its recent actions against independent political activists wishing to stand in local-level National People's Congress elections.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of reports that a number of independent candidates have been unable to stand in local level elections in China. Ministers regularly make the case to their Chinese counterparts that political reform is in China's interests. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Command Paper on Human Rights and Democracy sets out: societies that enjoy genuinely participatory democracy are more likely to be secure and prosperous in the longer term, as democratic development alleviates poverty, reduces corruption and creates the conditions to sustain economic growth.
	As the Prime Minister has said, democracy is a process not an event. We recognise that countries develop at different paces and our support will need to be specific to the context. And important though elections are, participatory government is about much more than the simple act of voting. Democracy has to be built from the grassroots up. The building blocks have to be laid like the independence of the judiciary, the rights of individuals, free media and free association. The Government are committed to engaging with China on these issues.

Cluster Munitions: International Cooperation

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to (a) strengthen the Convention on Cluster Munitions and (b) encourage other countries to eliminate the use of cluster munitions.

Alistair Burt: The UK is committed to ridding the world of all cluster munitions. We believe the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is crucial to achieving that goal.
	As a former user and producer country, and militarily active state which has given up cluster munitions, we have a positive story to tell. We have shared our experience of giving up and systematically destroying our stockpile of cluster munitions with other countries and been active in promoting the universalisation of the CCM in relevant bilateral meetings and in multilateral fora. In October, the UK hosted, in partnership with Non Governmental Organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, a universalisation workshop for Commonwealth countries opened by the Minister of State my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Howell of Guildford.
	We will continue to use all appropriate bilateral and multilateral opportunities to press for countries to join the CCM and give up cluster munitions.

Libya: Human Rights

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Libyan Transitional National Council on the safety and security of sub-Saharan African nationals in Libya.

Alistair Burt: During his visit to Libya last month, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised concerns about reports of human rights abuses committed by Free Libya Forces including the recent reporting by Amnesty International on the treatment of detainees, in particular sub-Saharan Africans. The Chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) assured him that they were taking action to meet Libya's international human rights obligations and had already begun investigations into these reports. The new Prime Minister, Abdurrahim al-Kib, reiterated the NTC's commitments in this respect the day after taking office. We will continue to raise the issue of minority rights with the NTC and the Transitional Government when formed.

Nicaragua

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to visit Nicaragua.

Jeremy Browne: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has no immediate plans to travel to Nicaragua. I will be visiting Central America within the next year, but the specific details are not yet finalised.

Nicaragua: Storms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Nicaragua on the recent tropical depression affecting that country.

Jeremy Browne: We have not discussed the matter with the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister directly. However, I issued two statements last month expressing sympathy and support for countries affected by the tropical depression and have also passed this message to ambassadors in the United Kingdom. Our non-resident ambassador to Nicaragua discussed the tropical storm with their Government when he visited last week.

Somalia: Armed Conflict

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the humanitarian effect of the recent Kenyan military incursion into Somalia; and what steps he is taking to urge parties involved in the conflict to respect international humanitarian law.

Henry Bellingham: UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported on 4 November that fewer refugees are arriving at Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya due to the rains and to insecurity in Kenya-Somalia border area. While we support Kenya's intervention, we have urged Kenya to continue allowing refugees in from Somalia, and not to forcibly return refugees from Somalia over the border. We have also stressed that the intervention should not impede humanitarian operations and should comply with international law. We will work with Kenya, the Somali Transitional Federal Government, the EU and other organisations to ensure that any action is consolidated by stabilisation and the development of credible, accountable governance structures.

Enterprise Zones: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on establishing enterprise zones in Scotland.

Greg Clark: As enterprise zones are an England-only policy, no relevant discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), and the Scottish Government. However, Ministers from DCLG regularly meet colleagues from the Scotland Office to discuss a range of matters.

Homelessness: Ex-servicemen

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of former armed service personnel who became homeless in each of the last 10 years.

Grant Shapps: Information about local authorities' discharge of their duties under homelessness legislation is collected on quarterly PIE returns.
	Information is collected on the number of households accepted as being statutory homeless whose main reason for loss of last settled home was having left the armed forces. This will not include households containing people who have previously been in the armed forces but were made homeless for other reasons. This information was first collected in 2005-06 and is given as follows:
	
		
			 Households with reason of last settled home being having left the armed forces 
			  Number 
			 2005-06 270 
			 2006-07 200 
			 2007-08 220 
			 2008-09 160 
			 2009-10 120 
			 2010-11 150 
			 Note: Figures are rounded to nearest 10 households. Source: PIE returns 
		
	
	Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and a summary is published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library of the House and via the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Breakdowns on whether other homeless people were formerly armed forces personnel are not available, eg rough sleepers.
	Preventing and tackling homelessness amongst veterans has been one of the priorities of my Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness. The group's first report “Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out nationwide” published on 6 July, sets out the Government's intention to roll out “No Second Night Out” nationally, the approach being taken by the Mayor of London to quickly identify new rough sleepers and includes a number of commitments to support ex-service personnel. We will continue to work with the Mayor to deliver No Second Night Out in London and to roll out the principles of No Second Night Out nationally. We have already provided an additional £20 million to Homeless Link for a new Homelessness Transition Fund to help delivery.
	I intend to write to hon. Members shortly to draw their attention to what we're doing for the armed forces, and will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

Housing: Construction

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage parish councils to seek support from outside agencies to help deliver local housing projects.

Andrew Stunell: Parish councils are not responsible for the delivery of housing projects. However, our neighbourhood planning proposals will give parish councils a greater say in the future of their area, including where they think new houses and other development should go.
	The provisions in the Localism Bill include a duty for local planning authorities to
	provide advice and support to parishes or neighbourhood forums preparing neighbourhood planning proposals. We have also committed £3.2 million for funding four support organisations (Royal Town and Planning Institute, Locality, Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and National Association of Local Councils/Campaign to Protect Rural England) to provide independent advice for communities on planning.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Wiltshire

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the level of inward investment to Swindon arising from the creation of the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Greg Clark: The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership is at an early stage of development, with board members currently being recruited, to be in place by January. The partnership has identified investment as one of its three core priority programme areas and set out in its proposal that it will ‘establish a rapid response capacity across the area that will work in partnership with UK Trade and Industry to attract and retain inward investment’; I am therefore confident that, when the board is established, that it will make an important contribution to increasing inward investment in Swindon and Wiltshire.

Multiple Occupation

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with landlord organisations on the effect on Article Four directions specific to houses in multiple occupation on the availability of places available for rent under proposed changes to the single room rate; [R]
	(2)  whether his Department has carried out an impact assessment on the effect of the introduction of Article Four directions specific to houses in multiple occupation on the availability of rooms suitable for the proposed new single room rate. [R]

Grant Shapps: The blanket requirement for planning permission for houses of multiple occupation included at the tail end of the last Administration imposed a significant regulatory cost on the private rented sector.
	The Government have streamlined these planning requirements, allowing councils to control the number of new houses of multiple occupation via article 4 directions allowing for targeted action in communities where the cumulative impact of such dwellings harms local amenity; this approach will avoid the blanket, over-regulation of the whole private rented sector.
	The impact assessment produced in September 2010 (DCLG, Houses in multiple Occupation—changes to planning legislation) estimates that this Government's reforms will deliver a net benefit worth £104 million.
	By contrast, the impact assessment produced under the last Administration on their planning changes, warned of a “potential reduction in supply of this type of low cost accommodation and therefore potential for rents to increase if there is a reduction in supply” (CLG, Introducing a definition of houses in multiple occupation into the Use Classes Order: Impact Assessment, March 2010, p.8).
	In this context, compared to the status quo, this Government's changes will increase the availability of low-cost accommodation for rent.

Planning: Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by what means his Department plans to monitor the use by local authorities of the planning system to protect biodiversity.

Bob Neill: We are removing the need for local authorities to submit annual monitoring reports on their local plans to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles). The future emphasis will be on reporting progress on local plans to local people in the interests of local transparency and accountability. In the consultation draft of the National Planning Policy Framework we proposed that planning policies should identify suitable indicators for monitoring biodiversity. Nationally, the Government's proposals for monitoring biodiversity are explained in the Natural Environment White Paper and include periodically publishing a single, concise and integrated report about the state of the environment on land.

Regeneration: Liverpool

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on funding (a) all or (b) some of the projects included in the regeneration strategy for the Liverpool City Region published by Lord Heseltine and Sir Terry Leahy; and what projects in the report his Department plans to fund.

Greg Clark: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Heseltine's and Sir Terry Leahy's report into the economic opportunities for Liverpool is an independent report and not intended to be bound by established Government policy. The issues raised by the report will be considered in the context of the work the Minister for Cities is undertaking as part of his work with the eight core cities, to help them maximise their growth potential.